2014 Domaine des Hauts Baigneux ‘Blanc Les Chênes’

Price: $21 Region: Touraine < Loire Valley < France  Grapes: Chenin BlancVineyard/Cellar Stats: certified organic, clay and limestone soil, hand harvestedWinemaker: Nicolas Grosbois, Philippe Mesnier Nicolas Grosbois is the talented young winemaker at his family’s highly regarded estate in Chinon, where Groisbois’ have been making wine since 1820. But in Chinon, one only makes Cab Franc – so when Nicolas got the itch to make white wine he went to Touraine and started Domaine des Hauts Baigneaux label, a joint project with friend Philippe Mesnier. And they are hitting it out of the park! Their Chenin Blanc is one of the better Chenins we’ve tried recently, and hands down the best at this price point. It is unmistakably Chenin, starting with the delightfully woolly nose with baked apple and chalk, and the palate of Meyer lemon, white peach and ginger. It ends with the intense phenolics of Chenin that make this grape so profound – big on texture but weightless at the same time. Del